GLPwatch
Depression
Investigational / off-label
Last updated 2026-05-28 15:46 UTCResearch on GLP-1 drugs and depression shows mixed findings, including reports of both antidepressant effects (e.g., neurogenesis enhancement, improved memory performance) and associations with suicidal ideation or psychiatric adverse events in some studies and pharmacovigilance analyses.
AI summary of the sources below.
Approved GLP-1 drugs (0)
No GLP-1 drug is FDA-approved for depression in our data. Any research below reflects investigational or off-label study.
Research (50)
- Drugs developed to treat diabetes, liraglutide and lixisenatide, cross the blood brain barrier and enhance neurogenesis.
- GLP-1 receptor activation modulates appetite- and reward-related brain areas in humans.
- Chronic GLP-1 receptor activation by exendin-4 induces expansion of pancreatic duct glands in rats and accelerates formation of dysplastic lesions and chronic pancreatitis in the Kras(G12D) mouse model.
- Association of semaglutide with risk of suicidal ideation in a real-world cohort.
- GLP-1 is both anxiogenic and antidepressant; divergent effects of acute and chronic GLP-1 on emotionality.
- The glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist exendin-4 improves reference memory performance and decreases immobility in the forced swim test.
- The extra-pancreatic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists: a focus on the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems.
- The benefits of GLP-1 drugs beyond obesity.
- Liraglutide promotes improvements in objective measures of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders: A pilot, open-label study.
- Activation of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Promotes Neuroprotection in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Reducing Neuroinflammatory Responses.
- Liraglutide attenuate central nervous inflammation and demyelination through AMPK and pyroptosis-related NLRP3 pathway.
- The association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and suicidality: reports to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
- Neuropsychiatric safety with liraglutide 3.0 mg for weight management: Results from randomized controlled phase 2 and 3a trials.
- Liraglutide attenuates the depressive- and anxiety-like behaviour in the corticosterone induced depression model via improving hippocampal neural plasticity.
- The risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior in patients with obesity on glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy.
- GLP-1 and exendin-4 transiently enhance GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic and tonic currents in rat hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons.
- Psychotropic Drug-Related Weight Gain and Its Treatment.
- Prevention of pentylenetetrazole-induced kindling and behavioral comorbidities in mice by levetiracetam combined with the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide: Involvement of brain antioxidant and BDNF upregulating properties.
- Exploration of the potential association between GLP-1 receptor agonists and suicidal or self-injurious behaviors: a pharmacovigilance study based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database.
- Disproportionality Analysis From World Health Organization Data on Semaglutide, Liraglutide, and Suicidality.
- Psychiatric Safety of Semaglutide for Weight Management in People Without Known Major Psychopathology: Post Hoc Analysis of the STEP 1, 2, 3, and 5 Trials.
- Psychological and quality of life changes in patients using GLP-1 analogues.
- Psychiatric adverse events associated with semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide: a pharmacovigilance analysis of individual case safety reports submitted to the EudraVigilance database.
- Endogenous GLP1 and GLP1 analogue alter CNS responses to palatable food consumption.
- GLP-1 receptor agonists: A novel pharmacotherapy for binge eating (Binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa)? A systematic review.
- Treatment with a GLP-1R agonist over four weeks promotes weight loss-moderated changes in frontal-striatal brain structures in individuals with mood disorders.
- Semaglutide Attenuates Anxious and Depressive-Like Behaviors and Reverses the Cognitive Impairment in a Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mouse Model Via the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.
- GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide reverses long-term atypical antipsychotic treatment associated behavioral depression and metabolic abnormalities in rats.
- Activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor in microglia attenuates neuroinflammation-induced glial scarring via rescuing Arf and Rho GAP adapter protein 3 expressions after nerve injury.
- Exploring the association between suicidal thoughts, self-injury, and GLP-1 receptor agonists in weight loss treatments: Insights from pharmacovigilance measures and unmasking analysis.
Common questions
- Which GLP-1 drugs are FDA-approved for Depression?
- No GLP-1 drug is currently FDA-approved for depression; any use would be off-label or investigational.
- Is there research on GLP-1 drugs for Depression?
- GLPwatch tracks 150 research papers on GLP-1 drugs and depression. This research is investigational and does not imply FDA approval.